BASKETTBALL

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Cade Cunningham scored 27 points as the Detroit Pistons spoiled LeBron James’ 41st birthday with a 128-106 drubbing of the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The Lakers’ final home game of the year got underway in a festive atmosphere, with the Crypto.com Arena hoping to salute James as he celebrated his birthday. But the Lakers, missing the injured Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent, were always chasing the game against a Pistons lineup who led for most of the contest.

The home side threatened to haul themselves back into contention after tying the game at 79-79 midway through the third quarter.

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Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic suffered a serious knee injury during the Denver Nuggets' 147-123 defeat against the Miami Heat.

The injury occurred late in the first half when Jokic accidentally collided with his teammate Spencer Jones. During the incident, Jones stepped on Jokic's foot, causing the star center to collapse immediately to the court while clutching his knee.

Following the game, Jokic underwent an external scan to assess the severity of the injury. Medical staff will re-evaluate him in four weeks to determine the next steps for his recovery.

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The Atlanta Hawks’ season started well but has taken a turn for the worse. Now, the Georgia-based franchise is considering parting ways with Trae Young and/or Zaccharie Risacher, as results have been lacking for several years.

The current era of the Atlanta Hawks began in 2018, with the draft of Trae Young, who was traded by the Mavericks for Luka Doncic (but that’s another story). The point guard quickly established himself as one of the most talented players of his generation and was expected to turn his team into a contender.

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New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado has been suspended two games and Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams has been suspended one game for their roles in a fight during the third quarter of Saturday night’s game.

The NBA announced the suspensions, that come without pay, on Sunday.

Alvarado will miss the Pelicans’ home game against the New York Knicks on Monday and their game at the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Williams will miss Monday night’s game at the Washington Wizards.

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Boomers superstar Josh Giddey exited the Chicago Bulls’ 35-point loss to Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter, just six weeks out from the NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.

Giddey had laid off a pass unchallenged before clutching at his left hamstring and then limping off the court into the locker rooms for further assessment. The state of his condition was not immediately known to the public, but if the 23-year-old has suffered a Grade 2 (partial tear) injury, his maiden All-Star selection could be in jeopardy with the recovery time for such injuries usually ranging between four and eight weeks.

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Reigning champions Oklahoma City have the NBA’s best record, but they can’t find a way to defeat San Antonio, with superstar Victor Wembanyama coming off the bench Thursday to help lift the Spurs to an emphatic 117-102 victory.

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After leaving Monday’s game with an injury, Nikola Jokic has been diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee and will be sidelined for about four weeks.

On Monday, during the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic injured his knee after colliding with a teammate. The three-time MVP immediately grimaced in pain on the floor, raising fears of a serious injury.

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Cooper Flagg joined former Mavericks star Luka Doncic as the only teenagers in the NBA to post at least 33 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds in a single game during the team's nail-biting win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

The Nuggets missed the chance to close the gap on Oklahoma City after losing a thrilling duel 131-130 against the Mavericks on the road in Texas.

Mavericks prodigy Cooper Flagg once again stole the show, with the gifted 19-year-old No.1 draft pick scoring a game-high 33 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.

Flagg's performance was backed by 31 points from Anthony Davis as Dallas outdueled Nuggets duo Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who accounted for 60 Denver points. The Nuggets almost snatched victory at the buzzer, but Peyton Watson's wide-open three-point attempt bounced out after hitting the rim.

"We're just coming together, trying to have each other's backs," Flagg said. "Obviously Jamal and (Jokic) had it going - so we were just trying to take those guys away and make somebody else beat us."